Where to eat seafood in Milan: the best restaurants with prices and menus

Fisherman's Trattoria – Porta Romana

This is where you'll find the city's most famous Catalan-style lobster, but also a mouth-watering tuna belly or classic seafood spaghetti. The atmosphere of this historic restaurant with Sardinian roots is informal, and reservations are highly recommended. Highlights on the menu include Catalan-style lobster for €40 (€22 for a half portion), tuna steak for €25, creamed cod for €18, and a trio of tartare dishes for €18. The pecorino cheese and chilled myrtle liqueur served at the end of the meal are a special treat on the house.

Fisherman's Trattoria, Via Atto Vannucci 5, 0258320452.

Antica Osteria del Mare – Famagosta – Sardinian

Sardinian flair also permeates this restaurant specializing in raw seafood. Served on lush platters to be shared at the table, scampi, shrimp, oysters, and tartare steal the show on the lovely back veranda, which can only be accessed by advance reservation. Raw seafood starts around €4 each, spaghetti with clams and bottarga is €15, spaghetti with sea urchins is €18, mixed fried fish is €22, and baked turbot for two is €46.

Antica Osteria del Mare, Via Ascanio Sforza 105, 0289546534.

From Giulia – Sempione – 4 Restaurants

Even more renowned after winning the episode of "4 Ristoranti," dedicated to the best seafood restaurants in Milan, this restaurant has a distinct Mediterranean feel, transporting us to Puglia and Sicily with the bold, balanced flavors that are the signature of Giulia's expert craftsmanship. The raw fish is delicious, the first courses with fresh homemade pasta are enchanting, and the ingredients are excellent. A large platter of seafood and raw fish costs €27. The maccheroncini al ferretto with rock octopus ragù costs €16, the swordfish and eggplant parmigianina costs €20, and the whole Apulian-style boneless sea bass with potatoes, olives, capers, and cherry tomatoes costs €25.

Da Giulia Restaurant, Piazza A. Gramsci 3, 351 8797885/02 36512177.

Pescetto – Garibaldi – Low cost

You choose your fish at the counter and then sit down to a table. The ingredients are excellent, the cooking is excellent, and the service is unpretentious. But the real highlight is the daily specials, offering home-style seafood at a more than reasonable price. Examples include lobster and shrimp Catalana for €20, rice, potatoes, and mussels for €9, mussels and beans for €9, seafood salad for €6.50, and creamed cod with potatoes for €6.50.

Pescetto Via Alessandro Volta 9, 02 3675 4184.

Il Marinaio Restaurant – Isola – Puglia

The Apulian soul is there, evident in the octopus and mussels, but also in the effective simplicity chosen to showcase the ingredients. The raw fish is delicious, as are the classic dishes served with style but without being overly pretentious. The menu features trattoria-style prices: mussels with pepper for €7, seafood risotto for €8, tuna pacchero all'amatriciana for €15, fried fish for €18, grilled octopus for €14, and tuna scallops for €15.

Via Guglielmo Pepe 12, 02 6900 5116.

Pescherie Riunite – Navigli – Fishmonger

The atmosphere is that of a fishmonger's with a kitchen, where everything revolves around the beautiful fish counter. The experience begins with your selection at the counter and concludes in a convivial and lively dining room. Prices vary depending on the quantity selected at the counter, but below are a guideline for a medium portion: Fried calamari and shrimp for €16, creamed cod for €10, mussel soup for €10, shrimp skewer for €5, calamarata with octopus, potatoes, and cannellini beans for €12.

Pescherie Riunite, Corso Cristoforo Colombo 11, 02 58101669.

The Little Fishes – Navigli – Bistro

The little brother of the famous fishmonger in Porta Romana, this is a small bistro where you'll feel right at home. It seats just 10 inside, which expands in the warmer months thanks to the lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the canal. Prices here also depend on the catch of the day and its weight, but we can provide some general prices to help you get a feel for it. Seafood salads start at €15, baby octopus or cuttlefish stew at €12, fried cod at €14, marinated cod at €12 to €15, and oysters at €5 each.

The Little Fish, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 33, 0258113083.

A' Riccione Bistrot – Sempione – Oysters and shellfish

A younger and more casual restaurant than the famous Via Taramelli restaurant, it offers an excellent selection of oysters and shellfish to be enjoyed raw, but also impresses with refined cooked appetizers and indulgent first courses, such as calamarata cacio e pepe with red prawns from Mazara del Vallo. More affordable than its bigger sibling, it offers chopped red prawns with stracciatella, lime, and Spilinga 'nduja for €30, tagliolini in seafood carbonara with Cabras mullet bottarga for €25, linguine with lobster for €32, and €35 ​​for monkfish osso buco, served with Venere rice and lemon zest.

Via Giulio Cesare Procaccini 28, 3476372531/02 3451323.

Bianca – Washington – Romantic

Romantic without being cloying, this all-white restaurant is the perfect spot for a dinner for two. The cuisine is refined, yet not overdone, with intriguing pairings and top-quality ingredients. Starters include larded tempura shrimp with ginger and cherry tomato sauce for €15, Catalan-style lobster and shrimp for €20, as well as mixed gratin, gold-drawn spaghetti with clams for €15, pacchero with Mazara del Vallo red shrimp and pistachios for €20, blacktail on a vegetable salad for €25, and scampi gratin with grilled vegetables for €22.

Bianca Restaurant, Via Bartolomeo Panizza 10, 0245409037.

The Belvedere Gardens – Crocetta – Elegant

A chic and relaxed little restaurant (with a lovely outdoor space) where the plating is in keeping with the location and expresses a simple elegance. The signature dish is the shellfish Catalana, priced at €35. The menu also includes seared scallops with capers and chicory salad for €16, a cone of paccheri with seafood for €25, mafalde with octopus ragù for €16, and mixed fried fish and vegetable tempura for €24.

The Belvedere Gardens, Via Orti 10, 02 4978 1425.

Lobster restaurant – Savona – Glamour

The Langosterie galaxy in Milan has taken off, combining decidedly high-quality food with a glamorous and luxurious atmosphere, at often exorbitant, if not insane, prices. The clientele is Milan's upper-crust, high-spending elite, and not recommended for others (but it's worth it once). Cover charge is €5, as is water. Some dishes are moderately priced, but it's best to read carefully. And be careful with the wine: at the Langosteria Cafè, for example, prices start at €16 a glass.

Via Savona 10, tel 2 5811 1649. Other locations.